THE COMING OF THE RAILWAY 245 



from the magazines of our leading coal merchants — 

 from The Old Barge House, Broken Wharf, Custom 

 House and the dark arch under the Adelphi. Then the 

 change in the detail of the road will be very whimsical 

 at first. Instead of calling as now, for fresh horses, at 

 a post town, we shall have only to call for a fresh scuttle 

 of coals! Our coachmen will flourish huge pokers, 

 instead of long whips. A very steep hill which would 

 require an extra pair of nags, will then be met with the 

 assistance of an extra pair of bellows, and as no thief 

 would touch a steam coach for fear of burning his 

 fingers, the guard to prevent accidents will carry a wet 

 mop rather than a pistol. There would be some diffi- 

 culty no doubt in the infancy of these arrangements, 

 the turnpike a6ls for instance would in most cases be 

 eluded; and the Post House duty, would be likely to 

 become unprodudfive. Impositions as well as improve- 

 ments would be likely to take place as the system 

 advanced. Any smoke which proceeded from the furnace 

 of the vehicle would (converted into gas) serve in time 

 to dire6l its progress. The heat of the fire might perhaps 

 be a little inconvenient in summer; but (to outside 

 passengers especially) in winter it would be an advantage. 

 And with resped: to the possibility of an occasional 

 blow up, there can be no doubt that as soon as the 

 scheme gets into praftice, any one of the insurance 

 companies for a reasonable premium will guarantee, 

 at so much per mile, the lives of steam passengers; and 

 such insurance might either be made a subjedl of separate 

 contract with the individual, or it might be done gener- 

 ally by the coach proprietor and included in the fare." 



The writer in common with the rest of his generation 

 was obsessed with the idea that trains and all steam 

 propelled vehicles must inevitably be fashioned after 



